|Publication number||US8053688 B2|
|Application number||US 12/014,823|
|Publication date||8 Nov 2011|
|Priority date||7 Jun 2006|
|Also published as||US7326864, US20070284235, US20080246732|
|Publication number||014823, 12014823, US 8053688 B2, US 8053688B2, US-B2-8053688, US8053688 B2, US8053688B2|
|Inventors||Vincent C. Conzola, Vincent R. Lanzolla, Timothy A. Meserth, Gerard F. Muenkel, David T. Windell|
|Original Assignee||International Business Machines Corporation|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (15), Referenced by (62), Classifications (16), Legal Events (3)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/422,620, filed Jun. 7, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,326,864, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.
IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., U.S.A. Other names used herein may be registered trademarks, trademarks or product names of International Business Machines Corporation or other companies.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer keyboards and particularly to the sounds emitted from a keyboard as keys of the keyboard are stroked.
2. Description of Background
Technology now exists that makes it possible to determine which keys are stroked on a computer keyboard by recording the sound that emanates from the keyboard as the keys are stroked and processing the recorded sound in a personal computer (PC).
Using input from an unsophisticated PC microphone and processing the input using standard machine learning and speech recognition techniques it is possible to recreate typed input with up to 96% accuracy. Using a two-phase process of training followed by recognition, researchers were able to successfully recreate both English and random (password) input from multiple keyboards, across various (quiet and noisy) environments. While techniques such as the one described are still relatively new, one can envision several nefarious uses for the technology. For example, a person using a parabolic microphone could sit in a public setting, such as a coffee shop with Internet access, and eavesdrop on other patrons; recording sensitive information keyed into their computers, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for methods and apparatuses that inhibit the detection of keystrokes by the sounds emanating during stroking of the keys.
The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a method of masking audible sounds emanating from a keyboard in response to a stroking of keys on the keyboard, the method comprising, selecting components from a plurality of components with various masses, building the keyboard with the selected components, moving a movable mass within the keyboard, and energizing a driving transducer within the keyboard.
Further shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a keyboard for a computer, comprising a plurality of keys, a cover with the keys protruding therethrough, a base supporting the cover and the keys, and at least one selectable mass wherein the mass is selected from a plurality of masses, a movable mass supported by the base and movable relative to the base, and a driving transducer supported by the base.
Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with advantages and features, refer to the description and to the drawings.
The technical effect of the disclosed embodiments is improved security when using a computer keyboard in a public setting. Specifically, the technical effect is to inhibit the deciphering of which key of a keyboard is stroked based on the sound that emanates from the keyboard as the key is stroked. Computer algorithms for noise cancellation are known in the audiophile industry and are applied to listening to music, for example, in an environment with a noisy background such as on an airplane. Application of similar techniques to attenuate the sounds that are projected from a computer keyboard during the stroking of keys on the keyboard is disclosed.
As a result of the summarized invention, a solution has been devised that permits a computer user to key in private information, such as passwords and credit card numbers, in a public setting while preventing keystroke detection based on the sounds emanating from the keys as they are depressed.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings.
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, it will be seen that in
Each key 14 has a unique X-Y coordinate position relative to the cover 18 and the base 22. Additionally, each key 14 also has a unique position relative to the other keys 14 on the keyboard 10. This positional uniqueness results in a unique audible sound being emitted for every key 14 when it is stroked. This is partially due to the flat shape and uniform thickness of the base 22, which forms a sounding board. Sound (pressure waves) generated from the depression of a key 14 impacts a specific location on the base 22 in accord with its coordinate position relative to the base 22. This position on the base being a unique position creates a unique response from the base 22. Disruption of the acoustic sounding board of the base 22 is easily achieved by the introduction of a mass to the keyboard 10.
Energization of the electromagnets 38 may be controlled by a variety of inputs. For example, a random number generator could be used in response to each keystroke resulting in a random direction and random distance of movement of the mass 26. Alternately, a predefined movement of the mass 26 could occur regardless of which key is stroked. The electrical power that energizes the electromagnets 38 could be supplied from whatever source the PC is receiving power, for example, a battery or from an AC power source.
Alternatively, the mass 26 could be moved through a mechanical linkage to the keys 14 rather than using the electromagnets 38. Such a system could use linkages (not shown) to move the mass 26 in a plus X or a minus X direction, for example, from its current location in response to the stroking of the keys 14. Additionally, the mass 26 could be moved in a plus Y and minus Y direction with any applicable method while not deviating from embodiments of the present invention.
Referring now to
Alternate embodiments may employ a cavity 34 that contains the fluid 54 in such a way that it is sealed without the use of a bag 50. Such an embodiment may decrease the force required to depress the key 14 during a keystroke since no bag 50 would be undergoing deformation.
The foregoing embodiment, which relies on the different masses of keys 14 to thwart the determination of keystrokes, is a passive approach, while an embodiment of
An alternate embodiment may utilize the input from the receiving transducer 70 to time the sending of a random noise signal to the driving transducer 74. Such a system may transmit a random noise, or white noise, instead of an out of phase noise to cover the sounds made by the keystrokes, thereby making detection of a clean keystroke sound difficult. Still other embodiments may not utilize the receiving transducer 70 or a speaker to detect the sound emanating from a stroked key 14 at all, but instead rely on the electrical signal generated by the keystrokes themselves to determine the timing of when to energize the driving transducer 74.
Embodiments of the invention may include some of the following advantages: attenuation of sound emanating from a keyboard, masking of sounds emanating from a keyboard, increased variations of sounds emanating from a keyboard, alteration of sounds emanating from a keyboard, continuously randomly modifying sounds emanating from a keyboard and changing, over time, the sound emanating from a keyboard in response to a given key being stroked.
The capabilities of the present invention can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware or some combination thereof.
As one example, one or more aspects of the present invention can be included in an article of manufacture (e.g., one or more computer program products) having, for instance, computer usable media. The media has embodied therein, for instance, computer readable program code means for providing and facilitating the capabilities of the present invention. The article of manufacture can be included as a part of a computer system or sold separately.
Additionally, at least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform the capabilities of the present invention can be provided.
While preferred embodiments to the invention have been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.
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|U.S. Classification||200/5.00A, 400/490, 400/472, 341/22, 345/168|
|International Classification||H01H13/70, H01H9/00|
|Cooperative Classification||Y04S40/24, H01H2239/054, H01H13/70, G06F3/0219, G06F21/83, H01H2221/062|
|European Classification||H01H13/70, G06F3/02A5, G06F21/83|
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Effective date: 20151108